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H OW TO M ANAGE P ROPER TY L IKE T RUMP

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach is another classic Trump
example of creating “sizzle,” which I discussed in Chapter 5. Trump
envisioned Mar-a-Lago as a country club without the benefit of a golf
course but with a host of other luxurious facilities superior to those at
any other Palm Beach hotel or country club. Trump decided to make
Mar-a-Lago “the place” for entertaining dinner guests, so he modern-
ized the entire kitchen and expanded the dining areas. He created lux-
ury suites and cottages where guests could stay for $1,000 per night.
He spent millions by adding a huge cabana and pool area on the At-
lantic Ocean for use by members and their guests who desired sun
and surf. On the grounds, he installed a new magnificent Olympic-size
swimming pool, a new tennis facility with five championship courts,
and a state of the art spa and fitness center. For those who are inter-
ested in croquet, there is a championship layout on the manicured
front lawn where a croquet professional is available to give lessons.
Not satisfied with his installation of a huge tent that could accommo-
date as many as 1,000 guests, Trump recently built a new equally spa-
cious “Trump Touch” ballroom replacing the tented facility. It’s
considered “the place” for weddings, parties, or charity functions. It’s
an absolutely spectacular facility, the ultimate in class and luxury.
It’s interesting to note that many of Palm Beach’s elite—people on
the town boards and others who lived in the community who had vig-
orously opposed Trump, immediately applied to become charter
members of Mar-a-Lago. They knew that a membership at Mar-a-Lago
would be a symbol of prestige they had to have. They were right!

How Trump Manages Property at Mar-a-Lago

The landscaping is incredibly picturesque and painstakingly main-
tained. All of the public areas give the members a feeling of comfort
and luxury. Although the spa and accompanying beauty salon are

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